Warren,
You left us much too soon. First time I had ever seen Warren live after hearing the albums and the buzz about what a performer he was. Weaseled my way right down front, not too far from the stage to see him up close. Danced my ass off and had a hell of a time, howling until my poor voice was sore. Not sure why the Dead ever needed an opening act, but their choice of Warren certainly made for a hell of an evening. Became a fan of Lost Sailor>Saint that evening, especially as I looked into the desert sky and felt the winds blowing through.

Warren Zevon opened for the Dead back in 1978 at Campus Stadium, Santa Barbara. Apparently that show was a total disaster for Warren. I wonder how and why he was given the opening slot for this show. Perhaps he was better received at Compton Terrace.

Not my first - I was a couple years into 'em by then. But I was back living in Tucson (where I grew up) after being in the Puget Sound area for a few years and this was the first chance I got to see the boyz since the end of '78. I took about 5-6 old friends who had never seen the Dead before. Everybody got good and dosed and saw god. Much fun. Good show too, but not terribly remarkable compared to some others. But Warren Zevon was a wild man of an opener. Some of my buddies went more because they wanted to see Zevon than the Dead, but they came away converted. Also ran into a whole van full of college friends from Olympia waiting to get in the gates in our station wagon.

many things stand out from this show...
it was the 15th anniversary tour...seemed epic at the time. but quaint now
got screwed by buying plain paper.
ZEVON was great and I remember his roadie grabbing the mike and yelling at the deadheads "C'mon you f****ers...get up and dance". And we did.
the show was great. don't remember details but do have it on CD to remind me. i guess Mexicali blues and el paso were a tip of the cap to the southwest or something.
for a june night in the desert, it was pretty pleasant.

my wife could not make it at the last minute...her ticket became the first miracle ticket of which I am aware. I know it was not THE first...just my first. I gave it or sold it or traded to some young woman at a MacDonald's in Tempe...all her friends had tickets but she did not. I happened to be standing behind her in line and heard her really worried about it. Voila...problem solved.

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